Chapter 267
Chapter 267
Ji Yan’an soon received Shen Yan’s intelligence report.
He sneered. He had known that wretched emperor would never hand over the supplies honestly.
Uncle Li said, “Young Master, word has come from Mr. Song. The Prince of Nanyang has agreed to cooperate with us, and Mr. Song is now on his way to General Shen.”
“In that case, leave matters over there to Song Jin,” Ji Yan’an replied.
“How is the cement coming along?”
“It’s already being produced in large quantities,” Nanshu said. “We’re using it on the city wall now, and three hundred meters have been completed. Would you like to take a look, Young Master?”
“Yes.”
“Where is Jiang Yunsui?”
Where had that little girl run off to this time?
“She’s picking grapes with those children.”
At the mention of the grapes in the neighboring courtyard, Nanshu swallowed involuntarily.
Just then, Ji Lu entered carrying a large basket of grapes.
“Young Master, Miss Yunsui asked me to bring these to you.”
The grapes were now fully ripe. Not only were the bunches enormous, but each individual grape was larger than a longan. Their skins had turned a beautiful deep purple.
They looked lovely, smelled wonderful, and most importantly, tasted even better.
The local climate was ideal for fruits such as grapes, making them especially sweet.
“Nanny Zhou, keep a few and distribute the rest,” Ji Yan’an instructed.
Nanny Zhou nodded. “Yes.”
The Young Master treated his servants well. He was even willing to share grapes this fine with them.
Naturally, they were distributed only among his trusted attendants, a few senior maids, and the hidden guards.
Each person might receive only three or four, but that was still something.
Ji Yan’an ate a few grapes before going to inspect the cement wall. He did not bring Jiang Yunsui, since the worksite was unpleasant and the weather far too hot.
At that moment, Jiang Yunsui was sprawled in a reclining chair with one leg crossed over the other, eating grapes and watermelon and drinking iced milk tea. She could not have been more comfortable.
Five children now lived in her courtyard. That was right-she had picked up two more. One was still a swaddled infant, currently being held and fed goat’s milk by the other girl Jiang Yunsui had recently taken in.
The other three children bustled around picking grapes. Of course, they were not working alone; guards from the Ji Family were helping too.
Some bunches were difficult to reach and required an adult.
“Wash the grapes after you pick them. I’m making wine!”
Jiang Yunsui was already itching to begin.
The wine was still a distant prospect, but she was at least enjoying fresh grape juice now.
“Fat Grandpa, hurry and take some to the other grandpas in the Cook Battalion.”
Fat Chef grinned until his eyes narrowed to slits.
“All right, all right… These grapes are delicious. This old man has never tasted anything this good in his life.”
Jiang Yunsui lifted her chin proudly.
“I grew them!”
Fat Chef swept her into his arms and laughed heartily.
“Our Little Yunsui is amazing.”
While Jiang Yunsui worked on her wine, the advantages of cement became fully apparent.
Many people went to see the newly built section of wall. The weather had been clear and rainless for several days, so the cement had already dried.
The gray-white wall was perfectly smooth. Its vast, seamless surface made an astonishing sight.
Of course, the wall was not made entirely of cement. There were still bricks inside.
“Good! Good! Excellent!”
Several veteran generals ran their hands over the smooth wall, then struck it hard with their swords and sabers.
Sparks flew. Apart from a harmless white mark, the wall remained solid and intact.
“This cement truly is remarkable.”
The men could barely contain their excitement. “Young Master, with this, our walls will be much stronger. Those Barbarians won’t find it easy to attack us anymore.”
Not only that, but the laborers building the wall had a much easier job.
“It can also be used to pave roads,” Ji Yan’an said.
Cement was easy to obtain, and he was determined to govern Mobei well.
“Once production increases further, use part of it for the walls and the rest for roads.”
“Will we conscript laborers?”
Whenever the Imperial Court undertook a project such as paving roads or building river embankments, it generally imposed corvée labor.
“No. Hire workers,” Ji Yan’an said. “Pay each person twenty copper coins a day and provide two meals.”
“The Barbarians have been quieter recently, so send idle soldiers to help as well. Pay them the same wage.”
Everyone looked at Ji Yan’an as though they wanted to speak but hesitated.
“That… will cost a considerable sum.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll earn the money back elsewhere.”
The source of that money would naturally be the new porcelain.
After developing blue-white porcelain, the kiln had continued experimenting and successfully produced true celadon.
Ji Yan’an left the road and wall construction in the hands of his subordinates.
When word spread through the barracks that roadwork paid twenty copper coins a day and included meals, most soldiers were willing to volunteer.
Their superiors had made it clear that so long as the work did not interfere with their duties or training, their military pay would not be docked.
Everyone was short of money these days. Who would turn down a chance to earn extra income?
Notices were posted to recruit workers. Once people learned that this was not forced labor but a proper paid job, anyone with enough strength hurried to sign up.
Road construction was soon placed on the schedule.
Many hands made light work. Ji Yan’an also established a separate workshop for cement production and assigned more workers to it.
The pay there was high, but the workers ended every day covered in gray dust.
Jiang Yunsui visited once. When she returned, she devised face masks and told Ji Yan’an to have more made for the cement workers.
Infrastructure projects were soon in full swing throughout Mobei.
Jiang Yunsui’s winemaking also came to a temporary end. All that remained was to wait for the wine to ferment.
“Ji Yan’an! Ji Yan’an!”
One morning, Jiang Yunsui’s delighted voice rang through the residence.
Unfortunately, Ji Yan’an was nowhere to be found.
He had gone to inspect the new cement road.
The road inside Beizhen City had been completed and was almost fully dry. Construction was now extending outward from the city.
With the Phoenix-Mimic Bird’s egg hanging against her chest, Jiang Yunsui rushed out of the residence like a whirlwind.
“Ji Yan’an!”
At last, she found him.
Ji Yan’an was walking along the level cement road. Hearing her call, he turned and saw a certain child hurtling toward him.
“Ji Yan’an, look! There’s a crack in the egg!”
That was right. Jiang Yunsui was so excited because the Phoenix-Mimic Bird’s egg had cracked.
She had not crushed it. The creature inside was preparing to hatch.
Jiang Yunsui had ultimately snatched that dying little life back from the jaws of death.
Ji Yan’an lowered his gaze. At one point along the tiny crack, the shell was more badly fractured. The little creature inside was pressing its beak outward with all its strength.
Every so often, that spot on the shell bulged slightly.
Nanshu and Uncle Li were the most excited of all.
“Let me see! Hurry, let me see!” Nanshu cried.
“It’s true. It’s really about to hatch.”
After taking a look, Uncle Li burst into tears of joy.
“Wonderful. This is wonderful!”
Once the Phoenix-Mimic Bird hatched and grew a little larger, they could take a small amount of its blood. Then they would finally possess every principal ingredient needed for Ji Yan’an’s antidote.